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- Wooden Cabinet
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- Decorative wooden Cabinet
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- Furniture Store Living Room Furniture
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- Living Room furniture
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- Local Manufactured Bamboo
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- Localy made Bamboo Chairs and Table
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- Plastic Table and Stove on a metal stand
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- Wooden Dining Table and Refrigerator
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- Plastic table and chairs
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- Queen size mattress and box spring
Well now you’re here and you have a place I guess the next thing to decide is where do we sit. There are furnished apartments available to rent in many places. The furnishings supplied may not be to your taste and of course the rent will be higher on furnished units. The advantage to a furnished place is that it is easier for getting started since it will already have at least some of the things you need. Furnished you will find is open to some interpretation so what is actually furnished will vary widely.
If you decide to furnish yourself you will find a number of options available to you depending on your budget and what kind of furniture you prefer or can afford.
The big department stores sell furniture there are also numerous retail outlets in town at least in the larger towns. If you are in a remote area the selection will be much less. In addition to purchasing from a store it is also possible to purchase custom made furniture at what are considered in the west to be pretty reasonable prices. There is also native bamboo and rattan furniture as well as moulded plastic for those on a limited budget. The custom furniture places sometimes have retail outlets and sometimes you go directly to the factory. There were some of these places that manufactured exclusively for export but with the economic downturn many now entertain local clients as well. There is quite a bit to choose from if you take the time to look around.
I have heard from several expats that the quality of furniture being sold in retail outlets is not good. I haven’t seriously shopped for furniture myself so I cannot confirm or deny these reports. The items I have seen in the stores have looked nice but I did not closely examine them or give them the sit test. I have a rather tight budget for the moment so I opted for the locally made bamboo furniture. A couch two chairs a table and a floor lamp came in at about P2500. The cushions and the wiring for the lamp were extra but the total cost was still below P4000.
Native bamboo and rattan can often be purchased directly along the road (That’s where I got mine). This furniture is usually available quite cheaply and is often well made and sturdy. Just examine your purchases before you pay for them. (That is often true no matter where you buy. Very few places will accept returns)
Appliances tend to be smaller than in the US though full size models of some products are available. They may be much more expensive than what you would pay at home. The small refrigerator in the picture is a frost free and cost about P20,000 new. Most stoves are LP gas and are just the burners without an oven. Stoves with ovens are available. Keep in mind that electricity is also expensive in the Philippines so smaller appliances might be the way to go unless you really need the larger ones.
Nice posts and pictures. I check the prices the wooden cabinet 1,000 to 2,500, decorative wooden cabinet 3,000 to 5,000, the bamboo chairs and table 2,000 to 3,000, the living room furniture 7,000 to 10,000, the dining table 6,500 to 10,000 and the queen size matress 7,800 to 10,000.
Thank you very much for that information. I am sure someone will find that helpful. Do you know how much livingroom furniture usually runs?
I am not sure how much it is, but for the plastic dresser it is 1,000 to 2.500, the plastic table it is 850 to 2,000 and the chairs 350 to 500 each.
Thank you.
Buying furniture in the Philippines is always an exercise in ( awareness )
Word to the wise : Ok to shop around for pricing but let your asawa ( if you have one ) do the bargaining .
I have found this to be especially true in shops that specialize in home furnishings as many times if you buy more than one item you can get a ” package ” price lower than purchasing separately .
That is true for sure. We have bought most of our appliances from the same place and sent other family there too so she always gets a pretty good price. We always check around to be sure of course.
Regarding electrical appliances, I prefer to buy it locally instead of bringing it with us from US, so I do not have to use a step down transformer for 110v. However, I made exception to my rice cooker. The rice cooker in PI is not as sturdy as the one I purchased here in California.
Some people have told me the products purchased there are not of the same quality as elsewhere. I have purchased a number of electronic and electrical appliances and I have had no complaints with them so far.